(i) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drug dispensing apparatus for dispensing a drug contained in a tablet case as much as a quantity designated by a prescription to a container (a bag or a bottle) in a hospital or the like.
(ii) Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, in a hospital and a pharmacy, for example, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5282/1982 (B65B1/30), a drug dispensing apparatus (which is named a drug packer in the Utility Model Publication) is used to provide a drug prescribed by a doctor to a patient. According to this system, some drugs (inclusive of tablets and capsules) described in a prescription are discharged one by one from a discharging drum (which is named an arranger board in the above-mentioned Utility Model Publication) in the tablet case, and the thus discharged drugs are collected by a hopper and then packed.
In recent years, also in hospitals and pharmacies, the improvement of a work space efficiency is demanded, and it is urgently required to increase the capacity of the drug dispensing apparatus without enlarging the installation space for the drug dispensing apparatus. In consideration of this point, a design has been given so as to make it possible to additionally install an assistant stand in the above-mentioned Utility Model Publication. However, even by such a constitution, the receivable capacity is limited.